A web press environment is one in which printing (i.e., imaging) is formed on a flexible media while the media is in motion along a path through the web press apparatus. Typically, the media begins in roll form and is spooled out from an unwinder, printed while in transit through the web press apparatus, and collected back into roll form by a rewinder. Guiding the media through the web press typically involves numerous rollers and idlers.
One known type is an air idler, wherein pressurized gas (e.g., dry air) flows outward from the idler through a porous surface area. The flow of gas keeps the passing media in non-contacting near adjacency to the idler. The overall effect is somewhat like a puck gliding over an air hockey table. Air idlers are used, for example, where the just-printed surface of the flexible media must face toward the air idler while being routed from a printer section to a dryer section of the web press apparatus without compromising print quality.
During typical operations, ink (i.e., imaging media) and/or paper residue build up on the air idlers of a web press apparatus. This residue and/or other debris must be periodically cleaned from the air idlers or printing quality will eventually suffer. Heretofore, it has been necessary to stop web press operations in order to clean air idlers by hand. This “down time” is undesirable from a production standpoint, and includes various personnel access difficulties and other maintenance burdens.
Accordingly, the embodiments described hereinafter were developed in light of these and other drawbacks associated with the manual cleaning of air idlers.